I’m beginning to adore living in Alberta. This past Saturday I made my second trip into the mountains for my first time snowboarding at Marmot Basin. My sister’s work put on a social event to head out and get some skiing and snowboarding in. Last minute a lift ticket became available and after a little encouragement from my sister to not be so afraid of unknown social situations I was headed to Jasper with one of her friends I had never met.

Having been to the mountains the previous weekend, I was stoked. I barely slept. My usual don’t wake me before the sun comes up attitude was gone and by 4:30 a.m. I was ready to begin the trek. By 6:00 a.m., we were in the truck, coffee in hand, and on our way!

This was the fourth time I had been to the mountains, and the wonder and greatness of it all still hadn’t worn off. I literally stared out the window like a child in a candy store. I’m not sure there will ever be a day when I’m not entirely in awe at how amazing these massive landforms are.

Marmot Basin was amazing. There was an amazing selection of routes down the mountain that weren’t so difficult. And considering there was a crazy amount of vehicles spilling out of the parking lots and lined up on the road up the mountain (thanks to a Ski Race that was going on), the mountain didn’t seem busy whatsoever. I could actually navigate down without feeling like I was going to be trampled by 100 people like at Lake Louise. There was only one run that was really icy, the rest of the day was absolutely perfect.

The weather was absolutely perfect again. It probably was hovering around -1 degree Celsius, but it didn’t feel cold at all. The sun was shining. It was a good day. Alberta is definitely treating me well this winter.

One of the best parts of the day was lunch at the Paradise Chalet, located mid-way down the mountain. I really wish I had snapped a photo of this area. There was a massive campfire lit so the air was filled with the single best smell known to mankind. They also had a barbecue going, so lunch was absolutely delicious!

Despite my initial anxiety about going with people I had never met before, the day turned out to be one of the best days in a very long time. Great conversation, so much laughing, amazing conditions, and all-around a great time! It was an awesome learning experience to step out and do things I normally wouldn’t do. I definitely would recommend the trek out to Marmot Basin if you’re looking for a great snowboarding experience!